The Welfare State
 

"Pornography and alcohol will be banned for Aborigines in Australia's Northern Territory, the country's prime minister, John Howard, announced today, after a report found that "rivers of grog" were leading to rampant child abuse."

Are these measures justified? Are they discriminatory and patronising, or necessary considering the circumstances? Will they work?

Re: The Welfare State
 

If a decision like this needs to be made it would probably be best coming from the community itself rather than John Howard. It's not easy to say the measures are an over-reaction or won't work (e.g. because they can be easily avoided) without knowing more about the situation. Like most drug/alcohol policies, it does seem to be treating a symptom rather than an underlying cause.

The aboriginal people's of both North America and Australia seem to have huge alcohol problems. With the American Indians I've heard it blamed on genetic predisposition, but it seems more like a response to living in a community devoid of hope and opportunity. My mother lived in Australia and said the treatment of the aboriginies then was pretty disgusting (and she's not a particularly liberal person) and while they would indeed spend their money predominantly on alcohol they were rarely problematic to anyone outside their own community. Of course they were continually hassled by local police/authorities, but that was 30 years ago, I'm not sure how much of that would still be the case.

(I'm not sure what this has to do with welfare states generally - the "welfare" payments in Australia (or America) need to be weighed against the whole "stealing of lands" issue.

Re: The Welfare State
 

In a comparativ view then the only place where pornography and alcohol has been banned in newer history is in the USA, and as such it has nothing to do with the welfare state per say.

Atleast Howards reasoning behind the legislation is to protect children, and not just due to religious moral views on sex and alcohol.

Re: The Welfare State
 

"Think of the children! Think of the children! Oh, won't somebody please think of the children!"

Re: The Welfare State
 

And Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction. :rolleyes:

Re: The Welfare State
 

Why not ban pornography and alcohol altogether? Or did the aborigines as a group surpass the magic number where a ban becomes morally acceptable?

Re: The Welfare State
 

But it's the Aboriginies, not the fine upstanding white people, who are abusing the children Jonny!

Re: The Welfare State
 

Also ... Think of all the poor aboriginal children spared the horror of sexual predation by their kin thanks to the benevolence of an enlightened white Government!






notably this

Re: The Welfare State
 

'Predation' isn't used enough in everyday language, I think.

Re: The Welfare State
 

Is this sarcasm?